Betrayal of different kinds
by Katyla
Summary: Complete! I suck at summaries, so I am not going to spoil my story with one. Fic takes place in the Marauder's sixth year. Please read and review as this is my first fan fiction!
1. Many Meetings

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any character and/or places that is recognisable in this story, or appears in one of the Harry Potter books. Harry Potter is a registered trademark of J.K. Rowling, and under no circumstance do I claim any of J.K's characters as my own, nor do I (unfortunately) gain any sort of payment for the writing of this story.

**A/N: Ok, this is my first ever fanfiction to be posted (still don't know why I do this) so, please review to your hearts content, whether good or bad. I am not someone who writes comedy well, nor do I wish this tale to be all that funny. I apologize in advance if any of J.K's characters are OOC, and I know that some of the happenings in this story is a bit far-fetched, even for a HP story. Also, I have not yet read the fifth book, so if I write anything incorrectly because of this, please email or review about it so I can fix it. Then, lastly, I must state that English is not my first language, so my tenses do suck most of the time, but bear with me. Enjoy!**

The morning was crisp and clear as the students of Hogwarts waved goodbye to family and loved-ones on the Platform nine and three-quarters. James Potter exhaled as he made his way past a group of giggling third-years who looked at him as if he was a horse on sale. As much as he loved Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he most certainly could do without the oggling - but then, that was all part of being one of the most popular boys in school.

Dodging a group of fourth year Hufflepuffs without a second glance, he was surprised to find himself walking straight into a trolley stacked sky-high with heavy trunks. His speed was just too much, and the trolley just too out of control to stop the collision, and when it hit, it hit hard.

A very surprised Potter looked up from the flat of his back as the trolley suddenly braked and a strange dark-haired girl stooped over him.

"Oh crap." There was a strange accent to her words as she bent down to offer him a hand. "I am so sorry, I didn't see you there."

James grinned slightly and took her hand, surprised at the stranger's strength. "Well, it is quite a difference not to be noticed." He managed to right himself with the girl's help before making a big fuss of mockingly dusting himself off "I do believe, however, that you might have cracked some of my ribs."

An arched eyebrow is raised at his words. "I am sorry, I really did not see you. It seems as if my cat has managed to get himself lost, so I was too busy looking for him to notice any arrogant boys striding about." Her smile was open and friendly, and her tone had a bantering ring to it. 

James stood for a moment, silently glancing over the girl. He did not know her at all, which was strange, for she appeared about his own age. Hair the colour of raven's feathers framed an oval-shaped face with delicately chiselled features. Azure eyes stared out from beneath long lashes, and a full mouth was curved in a slightly mocking smile. Although not overly tall, she still seemed taller than most girls, and along with her willowy frame made a picture that one would not easily forget.

"Arrogant, am I?" James replied. "Well, shall I be so arrogant as to presume that we have never met before?"

"You would be quite right, at that. This will be my first year at Hogwarts, although I will be joining the sixth-year students." The girl brushed a strand of hair from her face. "But I do believe that we will miss the train if we stand here much longer."

For the first time James glanced around him and noticed that the remaining students were dashing about trying to find place on the train. "I think that you might be right. Come on, I'll help you put away your stuff."

He turned around and made his way to the train, very sure that the girl would follow. Hastily they settled her stuff just as the train started moving. "That was too close." James said as the train pulled a way from the station. A large black cat rubbed against his legs and purred softly, as the girl laughed. 

"It seems that it was a good thing I nearly ran you over, for now at least, you have found my cat for me." She grinned and scooped the cat up in her arms, hugging it to her chest. "He has such a lust for adventure. But, I forget my manners. I am Katherine."

James grinned and nodded. "And I am James. It is nice to meet you." He glanced about him. "If you want, we could move your stuff to our compartment. There should be another space left"

Katherine nodded and motioned for him to lead the way, holding the cat with one hand and lugging several items of baggage with the other. James grabbed her remaining stuff and lead her down the hallway.   

                                                            ***

They were a strange group, Katherine had to admit to herself as she settled into her seat opposite James. Clearly the leader of the group, he had a natural magnetism that made one _want_ to laugh at his jokes or listen intently to his stories. Black hair stuck up in several different angles and begged to have someone draw fingers through it, while vivid green eyes glanced out from a pair of glasses. The Prefect's badge on his robes looked almost out of place with his playful demeanor. 

Next to Kat sat a boy who had introduced himself as Remus, a silent but yet intense young man with light  brown hair and sombre eyes. Kat liked him immediately, for she instinctively knew that he too had secrets and would not ask annoying questions about things she would rather keep secret.

Across from Remus sat a pudgy boy called Peter, nice enough, Kat would guess, although she was not quite sure how he fit in with the other two.

"So, where did Sirius get himself to?" James asked after Kat had been introduced to the other two. 

"I think he said something about going to fetch Lily and Jess." Remus replied, slightly shaking his head. "Not that I know why. Lily is _your girlfriend, after all."_

"She's not my girlfriend." James muttered and threw Remus with a chocolate frog-wrapper.

Kat grinned. "Most of the time friends would know whether she is your girlfriend or not, James. They tend to have these uncanny instincts about such things."

James glared at her. "Lily is not my girlfriend!"

"I am most certainly not!" Came a voice from the doorway, where two girls and a very smug-looking boy stood. "I'd rather date a slug, James Potter."

The others snickered and rolled their eyes. "Yeah right, Lily. We believe you." Came the other girl's reply, blond hair swirling around her shoulders as she shook her head before plopping herself down next to Peter.

Lily shot the other girl - Jess, Kat thought Remus had said - a nasty look before making herself comfortable next to Remus.

"Charming." Sirius growled. "Am I to stand for the entire trip?" His eyes fell on the new arrival and he raised an eyebrow. "Who's she?"

"I'm Katherine. I was transferred here from the United States." She turned the full force of her stare on him, taking in his dark hair and handsome features. To her great annoyance, it seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever. 

"Well, did you have orders to transfer yourself into _my_ seat?" He did not appear too highly annoyed at it though, and the comment was more of a grudging welcome than anything else.

"Are you pompous by nature or do you work on perfecting the skill every day?" Kat shot back, but there was a tiny smile on her lips. She did love a good match of wills.

"It is just one of my many talents." Sirius shrugged and made his way where Jess sat before unceremoniously dropping down into her lap, despite heavy protests from her part.

"Oh, and I presume weighing a thousand pounds is another of your talents, Black?" Jess gasped  and vainly tried to shake him off. "Not that I mind or anything."

Sirius smiled down at the blond girl. "I try, my dear, I try. And you are ever so comfortable to sit on."

The door of the compartment was thrust open and a young man with platinum hair and a permanent sneer poked his head into the compartment. "So, I see that you Mudblood lovers are all reunited again. Shame, it must be so good to be back among dirt, Potter." Lucius Malfoy smirked viciously as his gaze travelled across those present. Eyebrows rose as he spotted Katherine. 

"Well, I never thought I would see _you_ amongst these losers, Kat. My, my. What your father would not say."

James made as if to reach for his wand before he heard Malfoy's words to Kat. All those in the compartment turned their eyes on the new girl, while her own eyes burned livid with anger.

"Ouside, Malfoy. Now!" Kat raised her chin and stood up, pushing Malfoy roughly back out of the compartment and shutting the door firmly behind them.

"What in the bloody blazes are you playing at you stupid prat?" She hissed and placed her hands on her hips. "Who I sit with has nothing to do with you!" Every inch of her radiated anger, although her face had gone completely devoid of any emotions.

"It is my business if you sit with _them_." Lucius sneered down at Kat. "You are a disgrace to your family, Kat, and to Him."

Fury flashed in those azure eyes as Kat balled her fists. "As of the moment I stepped onto this train, Malfoy-" She spat the name like a curse "- my business is my own. So sod off!"

Malfoy opened his mouth to say something, but a fist in his guts cut him off.

"Not a word more from you, Malfoy, for you might just make me angry." She whirled around and yanked open the door to the compartment.

"Mark my words, Katherine Hale, you will be put into Slytherin, and then we will speak again!" Malfoy wheezed, clutching his stomach.

Kat slammed the door viciously. 

                                                            ***

There were a few gauche moments of silence as Kat sat back down in her seat. Peter twitched nervously and fiddled with his hands, Remus was gazing out of the window with all his might, James was intent upon his sneakers and the two girls were shooting each other strange glances across Sirius's (who was still sitting on Jess' lap) shoulder. Sirius alone faced the new girl, a strange expression in his eyes. 

"So, how do you know Malfoy?" His voice was cold, almost openly hostile.

"I used to lock him in our broom-shed when I was younger." Kat replied, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Our parents went to school together, and before we moved to the US we used to live quite close to them. His parents used to drop him off at our house to play - much to my eternal annoyance."

All eyes were now on her, some with slack mouths.

"You locked Malfoy in your broom-shed?" James roared with laughter, green eyes sparkling. "You don't by any chance have photos of that, do you?"

Kat grinned and shook her head. "No, I don't. But I do have one where he fell face-first in a puddle of mud. It is quite amusing, actually."

Several of the others laughed with them.

"What did he mean about your father, Kat?" To the surprise of all those present, it was little Peter who spoke up.

Kat sobered up immediately, her eyes hooded. "I come from a pure-blood family in which every member for the last two hundred years has been in Slytherin. They would disapprove, but quite frankly, I don't give a damn."

Remus grinned. "Seems like she would fit in just fine with us, don't you think?" He glanced at her. "We are well know in the school for breaking rules - and several traditions."

"I just hope that I don't end up in Slytherin. I think I might just slit my wrists if I do." Kat was about to say something else when the sweets-trolley rolled past.

For a while everyone was content simply to eat and joke around, once more comfortable with the new girl - all that is except for Sirius and Lily.

                                                            ***


	2. The Letter of Regrets

The Great Hall looked magnificent as usual, the enchanted ceiling glittering with a thousand stars in velvety darkness, and hundreds of candles floated around giving more than adequate light to the large room. The Sorting was drawing to a close, and Dumbledore stood up, clearly ready to make an unusual announcement. 

"It is my great pleasure to present to all of you a very different student. It is not very often that we allow students into Hogwarts in the sixth year of their studies, but this is a special case. Our new student has transferred here from our sister school in the United States of America, and she will now be sorted, like every other student." He sat down and waved to Professor MacGonagall to proceed.

Nodding, the woman waved at the girl. "Katherine Hale." She called from her lists, and picked up the Sorting Hat, placing it on Kat's head as the girl sat down on the stool.

There was a long silence in the hall as Katherine sat as still as a statue beneath the hat, her eyes closed and an almost pleading expression on her face.

"Gryffindor!" The hat called out, and Kat sighed an sigh of relief. The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers as she made her way down to it, sliding into a space between Remus and Peter. Many people clamoured to shake her hand and wish her welcome.

James grinned at her from his seat across her, but Kat couldn't help but notice that neither Sirius nor Lily smiled at all.

Across the hall, Lucius Malfoy sneered.

                                                            ***

The year was off with a bang, and classes started as usual, only harder than they had been the year before. The sixth years groaned under the weight of their work and homework, but it did not keep the Marauders too busy to pull several pranks. 

All four of them had detention within the first week.

Kat seemed to settle in rather nicely, and although she and Lily still did not get along well, she seemed to have made herself a rather permanent part of their group when the boys were present.

She and Sirius were always in each other's hair, yelling insults or making sarcastic remarks with a fervour that just could not be matched by anyone else. 

James and Lily went back to their good-natured bartering, and it was clear to everyone except them that they were madly in love - or sort of in anyway.

Remus started dating Jess - much to the annoyance of much of the male population of Hogwarts- and Peter was too busy trying to figure out what was going on in Potions to really have time for anything else.

Yeap, Hogwarts had settled down into its normal rhythm.     

It was the morning of the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts when Kat first started to act strange. She was quite happily teasing Sirius about a small incident in Charms class when a large owl dropped a letter in her porridge.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Kat fished the white envelope out of her breakfast and wiped it clean with a serviette. Her eyes widened considerably as she recognised the hand-writing.

"Who's it from?" Peter asked and glanced over at the letter in Kat's hand, dropping his knife back onto his plate before taking a bite of toast.

"No-one important." Kat said and stood up, clenching the letter in her hand. "I'll see you guys outside in a little while - I forgot something in the dormitory." She nearly ran out of the Great Hall.

"Ooh, is it from your secret boyfriend, Ice Queen?" Sirius called after her, shooting her a nasty look.

"Go torture some fluffy white rabbits, Black." She called over her shoulder as she sped off, nearly colliding with Remus and Jess as they came into the Hall.

"Geez, Kat, slow down!" Jess teased as she watched the other girl speed past her. "Where's she off to in such a hurry?" She and Remus squeezed in between James and Lily.

"She received some post and then ran off." James shrugged. "Said she forgot something in the dormitory."

Lily frowned. "Why would she not open her mail in front of us?" She sipped her pumpkin juice. "I wonder who it is from?"

The others shrugged and returned to their breakfast with relish.

Only later did they notice that Sirius was no longer with them.

                                                            ***

Kat did not even bother to pretend to go in the direction of the Gryffindor common-room; instead she went straight up to the owlery, letter clutched tightly in her hand. It was only when she made herself comfortable on the floor of the big room that she tore open the envelope.

A single sheet of white paper drifted lazily to the ground, and she snatched it up in one swift motion. When she recognised that hand-writing, her cursing was terrible to hear.

_Katherine_

_You have not reported as I ordered you to do, and that, I might add, is not wise. You swore your life to me, despite your young age, and to break that oath could be fatal. Do not think that even your parents could save you when I claim what is rightfully mine. You will report to me every week, as was your original order. Forget not that you are not the only one of my followers in that ridiculous school, beware if you betray me!_

_Remember your oath!_

_Your lord._

The letter burst into flames as she let it fall to the floor once more.

"Oh Merlin." Kat murmured and hugged her legs to her body, leaning her chin on her knees. 

"I'm guessing your boyfriend is no longer interested?" Sirius stepped out from behind a row of cages, a smirk on his handsome features. Kat nearly jumped a foot into the air at the sound of his voice.

"Fuck you, Black." She growled at him when she managed to regain her composure. "But then again, I guess it would be just like you to sneak around trying to read other people's mail. Just can't keep your curiosity curbed, can you?" She didn't even bother to look at him.

"Don't worry, Kitty Kat, I did not read your little love-gone-bad letter. But I am willing to listen if you want to curse this guy." His smile was pure venom.

"You wish, you worthless git." Kat shook her head in anger, eyes blazing. "Could you not just be nice for once? Do you always have to mock and ridicule and act so darnit immature? And do you _always_ have to push your long nose into other people's business?!" There was a flurry of worried hoots and much flapping of wings as the owls suddenly took fright at her angry yelling.

"Breath, Kat. No need to get over-excited." Sirius rased his hands in an disarming manner, shooting a worried glance at the girl on the floor. "I thought you were just as game about this mocking thing. You always bite back..."

Kat sighed and all anger seemed to seep from her slender frame. "I am sorry, Sirius, I shouldn't be taking all this out on you." She rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. "And usually I don't mind your mocking comments or your snide remarks... I'm sorry."

Shrugging, Sirius sat down on the floor beside her, all trace of mockery gone. "No biggy. Now do you want to talk about it? I am, au contraire to popular believe, quite a good listener." 

"No." Kat shook her head and stood up. "Thanks for the offer though, I appreciate it." She shouldered her bag and grabbed the empty envelope. "Besides, first class is starting in five minutes, and I have Divination. It's quite a far walk." A rare smile of genuine friendliness was flashed at Sirius before she disappeared through the door, leaving the boy with the strangest feeling of discontentment.

                                                            ***

The Divination class-room was stuffy and incense filled, making most of the students sleepy and often causing one of them to bump their heads against the table-tops as a hand gave way beneath a nodding head.

Kat, however, enjoyed Divination in a offhanded kind of way - especially when their teacher was late. She, James, Remus and Jess were sitting at one table (Lily was too levelheaded for such a subject, and Sirius had been _politely asked to leave the class in the third year, while Peter was missing the day's class because of a stomach ache) and Kat told them of how surprised she was to see Sirius's humane behaviour._

"I guess I always pictured him as some kind of child in a sixteen-year old's body. Or perhaps a Dementor in disguise." She shrugged and crossed her legs as she leaned back in her chair.

James laughed. "Sure, Sirius can act immature most of the times, and he does love mocking anything that breathes - and some things that don't - but deep down inside he's a really nice guy."

"When the going gets tough, Sirius is the one that will pull you through, and he usually does it with a smile on his face." Remus winked at James as he said that, and both of them grinned.

"And what does that look mean?" Jess quipped, trying to create a semblance of a breeze by waving her manicured hand in front of her face.

"Oh, nothing." James said and dropped his gaze. "Just thinking of the amount of times that Sirius has gotten us into, and out, of trouble."

Kat shook her head. "If you had told me that four hours ago I would have laughed in your face." Idly she twirled a strand of hair around one of her fingers while stifling a yawn with the other hand.

James glanced at Remus and the other boy nodded. "Well, since you both seem fabulously bored, I think it is time for us to make a wonderful announcement." Both boys leaned across the table and motioned the others to follow suite so that they were sure that no-one could hear them. "We are planning a little trip to Hogsmead this evening after Quidditch tryouts. You girls want to come?"

Jess squealed in delight and clapped her hands together. "Ooh, of course! I presume Lily and Sirius will be coming as well?"

Remus nodded and grinned. "I'm pretty sure Lily will come - despite the fact that she is a prefect, and do you for one second believe that Sirius would miss such a trip for anything?"

"And would you mind telling me how we are going to get there?" Kat raised an arched eyebrow with a small smile. "Not that I really mind, as long as I can go along..."

"That's a secret. You'll have to wait and see!" James grinned like a four-year old who had just discovered a horde of chocolate frogs. Which he kind of had, if you think about it.

                                                            ***


	3. Warnings and Dangers

**Disclaimer:** **As I said in the first chapter, I don't own anything that you recognise from the HP books, nor do I gain anything out of the writing of this story.**

**A/N: Ok, so I know the first two chapters kinda sucked and went relatively slow, but it should pick up from now on and get interesting. Romance should start making its appearance in the fourth or fifth chapter! Please don't forget to review, good or bad!**

"I never knew you played Quidditch." Sirius told Kat as they and the rest of the Marauders (minus Peter, who was still in the Hospital Wing) along with Lily and Jess sat in the Three Broomsticks, sipping Butterbeer. 

The place was pretty much deserted, but the owner of the tavern - who knew the Marauders quite well - stayed open for a little while longer to accommodate some of his most loyal, if albeit illegal, customers.

"You never asked." Kat replied with a smirk. She had to admit that she had done some of her finest flying that evening, and even James and Sirius were impressed. She was still troubled about the letter she had received from him, but the flying had taken her mind of off it somewhat.

It was her first visit to Hogsmeade, and the others had tried to make this trip as interesting as possible for her, pointing out all the places they would visit the following week on their first, "official" visit of the year. Not that it would be half as much fun as it was to visit it illegally, they assured her, and Kat believed them.

There was a strange sound from a table in the back as an old witch banged her mug against the table before standing up and making her way unsteadily past the group of friends, nearly tripping over her own feet.

She grabbed hold of the back of Kat's chair to keep herself from falling over, and no-one except Kat noticed the folded piece of paper that was dropped into the girl's lap.

The witch righted herself and mumbled an apology before slowly making her way out of the tavern. All those at the table, except for Kat, snickered.

"Seems like someone had slightly too much to drink tonight." James snorted with laughter. "She looked almost as bad as you do when your drunk, Sirius."

Sirius muttered some obscenity and shot his friend a pointed glare as the rest of the table burst out laughing.

Remus started telling the girls a story of the one time when the Marauders had spent a holiday alone in the Black's mansion. Kat, although highly interested, found her attention drawn rather to the paper in her lap. Without the others noticing, she folded it open and glanced over it, quickly reading the untidy scrawl.

He is watching. For every week you do not report, he will take from you something that is dear to you. Something in Hogwarts. Take your friends and go, for one of them will not survive this night if He arrives. He always claims his due.

Could she trust the woman? But then, could she not trust the woman when he was concerned?

Kat stood up suddenly, interrupting Remus's story. "We have to get out of here, now."

"Nonsense!" Sirius exclaimed. "Tomorrow is Saturday so we have no need to be in bed early, and no-one is going to miss us. Or is it the breaking of rules that bothers you?" Sirius's voice was full of mocking and slightly filled with scorn.

For a moment, Kat wondered if it really would be so bad if he killed Sirius. Some part of her said that it would, despite all that she had been taught in her life, Kat still couldn't have the careless indifference about other people's lives that her parents had. Perhaps that is why her parents had tried to talk her out of swearing to him, but at that stage of her life, she had been sure that it was what she wanted to do.

"You... we are in danger. We must go now!" Kat was starting to panic, for in her minds eye she saw the life-less body of one of her friends, and the rest staring up at her with hatred in their eyes, for she was the one who had caused the death. "Please guys, we must go now!"

Remus nodded, sensing her unease. "Lets go. Kat can explain on the way back to the castle. Rather safe than sorry." He and Jess stood up at the same time, and James joined them. Sirius and Lily looked up at them strangely before Lily jumped up too.

"I'm not going to sit here alone with Sirius while the rest of you go home. Shall we go through Honeydukes?" She grabbed her purse and shot Sirius a smile.

Nearly hopping on the spot with impatience, Kat kept on glancing out of the window, trying to keep her panic under control. "Come on Black!"

With a long, drawn-out sigh, Sirius got to his feet. "You owe me one, Hale."

Kat nodded. "More than you can imagine, Black, more than you can imagine." She set off after James and Lily, Sirius following her with a puzzled expression on his face.

                                                                        ***

Kat only relaxed after they entered the tunnel that led back to Hogwarts. They had made it.

"Ok, explain." Jess stated as the group made its way through the tunnel, led by James who was holding his wand above his head to cast light for those that followed.

"Ok, I'm guessing you all remember the witch who grabbed hold of the back of my chair in the Three Broomsticks?"

They all nodded.

"Well, she dropped a piece of paper in my lap." Seeing Sirius about to make a biting comment, she raised her hand to stop him. "Let me finish, Black. In this 'letter' she told me that we are in grave danger, and that we had to leave as soon as possible."

James stopped in surprise and all of them turned to face Kat.

"You made us leave because of what some_ drunk_ witch said?" Sirius exploded, and Remus put a restraining hand on his friend's arm. 

"Her writing didn't look like that of a drunk person. A bit untidy, perhaps, but then so is James's and Peter's, and they aren't drunk – not all of the time in anyway."

James shot her a nasty look and Lily and Jess laughed.

"Could we see this letter?" Lily asked, a small frown between her brows.

Kat made a big show of searching her pockets, and when she looked up there was a very-well faked look of shock and surprise on her face. "I must have lost it!" She exclaimed, once more going through her pockets while conveniently skipping the letter still tucked into one of them.

"Oh." Lily said, trying to hide her disappointment.

Muttering, Sirius headed down the tunnel towards Hogwarts, leaving the others to follow in his wake. Kat came last, and a heaviness lay on her heart.

                                                                        ***

The results of the Quidditch tryouts were posted in the Gryffindor Common Room that Monday morning, causing a wave of excitement among all those present.

"Ooh!" One of the second-years exclaimed loudly. "James is captain again!" A collective squeal was heard from half of the female population in the Common Room.

"And look, Sirius is a Beater again!" Another squeal of excitement by the crowd.

Kat rolled her eyes and elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, glancing down the list. She had been put up for a Chaser. She smiled slightly before making her way out of the press of bodies, and walked smack into Sirius.

"Move." He told her coldly.

Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?" There was plenty of space around her for him to pass; there wasn't any reason for him to be impolite.

"I said move, you stupid girl." His did not look at her, instead focusing on some point above her head.

"Fu…" Kat glanced around at the first years that were all listening with interest and swallowed what she wanted to say. "Well, I am sorry your ego is so big that it doesn't allow you to move any closer to the walls, Black, but it's not my problem. Ever heard of manners?"

"Ever heard of not being such an insufferable bitch?" He shot back, and for the first time that day looked at her.

"Guys!" Lily called, storming down the staircase. "Cut it out, now!"

Both of them glanced at Lily, before stepping into opposite directions, effectively letting the other pass. Sirius moved through the crowd to look at the Team results, while Kat stalked out of the Common Room, thrusting the portrait open with more force than strictly needed. 

She made her way up to the owlery, taking her report out of her pocket as she went. She wrote it the night before, after the other girls had fallen asleep, and she had made it a detailed one. 

She chose a large school owl to make the delivery, hoping that _he_ would receive it. She shuddered in thought of what would happen if that letter fell into the wrong hands; or, even worse, not reach _him_.

Kat made her way slowly down to breakfast, her thoughts dark. She was still puzzled about the Friday evening, wondering how the old witch had known about _him_ and her connection with _him_. She did not even seem to notice the sombre mood her friends were in, until Jess placed a hand on her arm.

"Listen, Kat, we are sorry about our reaction Friday night. You saved our lives, perhaps." Jess looked at Kat with those doe-like brown eyes of her.

A quizzical look crossed Kat's features as she glanced around the table, noticing that Sirius did not look nearly as angry as he had before, in fact, he was looking quite shaken.

"What's going on?" She asked, frowning.

Lily handed her the newspaper. "There was an attack on the Three Broomsticks that night. The Ministry thinks it was done by Dark Wizards under…" she swallowed and skipped the name. "…anyway. _It happened about ten minutes after we left!_"

Kat looked at her dumbfoundedly, and it felt as if her heart stopped for a few seconds. "Oh Merlin." She breathed. "Oh flying fu…" Remus shot her a look and she bit off the last word in a hurry.

"Exactly what I said." James stated, but there was not a hint of mirth in his tone.

"Guys, we musn't do things like that again. It's not safe." Remus looked at all of them with a serious expression. Sirius and James both started to argue, but Lily cut them off.

"Remus is right, guys. It is too dangerous by far." Lily shot them all a measured look. "Run around on the school grounds and in the castle as much as you want, but promise me you won't go to Hogsmeade again when there isn't an official trip."

Slowly James and Sirius nodded, but only after seeing that Remus, Kat and Jess agreed with Lily.

"Good." She breathed and returned to her toast. "Now, lets change the subject to lighter matters." 

Peter was still up in the Hospital Wing, and the Marauders made plans to go visit him, while the three girls discussed their potions homework (which none of them, except for Lily, could do properly)

"Ooh! Did you guys hear?" Cassandra* Hooch came bouncing up to James, a broad smile on her face. Cass played Keeper for Gryffindor, and the girl lived for Quidditch. "We're playing Hufflepuff next week!"

That turned the conversation right around as everyone within hearing distance started to discuss the merits and failures of the Hufflepuff team, until half an hour later, the entire group trudged down to Potions with Slytherin.

It was not a good lesson for the Gryffindors. James got five points taken off from the House for "smirking at the teacher."

Remus accidentally dropped seven newt's eggs into his potion instead of four, which resulted in the potion becoming a horrid violet colour instead of muted red. He and Jess had to start over, and ten points were taken off because they "quarrelled too loudly."

Sirius was still in a bad mood, although Kat suspected it was just because he was sour that she had been right the evening before.

So, when she accidentally spilled some of her and Lily's perfectly made potion on his robes, Sirius snapped and chucked a burningberry root at her. They both got detention.

Outside, the rain was pouring down, and it became clear to all that winter was on its way – and so was Christmas.

                                                                        ***

* Sorry, I can't remember Madam Hooch's real name. If someone could tell me what it is, I will fix it. Thanks!


	4. Parties

**A/N: Ok, it's short, but not pointless. The method behind my madness will be revealed to all as soon as the next few chapters show up. Oh, and don't forget to REVIEW!!**

Sirius turned up in the entrance hall for detention slightly before Kat. He had a sneaky suspicion that MacGonagall was going to make them was bedpans in the infirmary. 

No such luck though. MacGonagall turned up only a few minutes after Kat did.

"You two will be marking first year Transfiguration test." She informed them as she swept them into her classroom. "And if I find one incorrect answer marked correct, or one correct answer marked incorrect, the two of you will be doing detention till summer holidays."

Kat groaned and MacGonagall shot her a disapproving glance. "You should consider yourself lucky, Miss Hale. I had though about making the two of you scrub bedpans in the infirmary."

Sirius burst out laughing as if it was the funniest thing anyone had said in years. An impatient look from the Professor shut him up quick enough though.

MacGonagall set them to work before seating herself behind her own desk and studiously started doing her own paperwork.

Sirius cast Kat a look every now and then, but she kept her eyes carefully on the paper before her, only looking up now and then to keep her neck from going into spasm.

Pushing her papers away from her, MacGonagall stood up, making both the students look up curiously.

"Well, I am going to the staff room." She declared, walking to the door. "If I come into this class-room and the two of you are not here, there will be very serious trouble." Her tone was grave and her piercing eyes held each of them for a second before she swept out of the room.

"This is all your fault." Sirius grumbled as the Professor's footsteps grew faint.

"What?" Kat looked up from the paper in front of her. "Just to refresh your memory, _I_ wasn't the one who threw a burningberry root! Please enlighten me as to how this can be my fault?"

"You're the one who splashed your potion all over me!" Sirius's eyes flashed with indignation. 

"You are such a puffed-up git, do you know that, Sirius Black?" Kat jumped up and stood facing Sirius, hands on hips. "You think that the entire world revolves around you and your little life!" Sirius tried to say something in his own defence, but Kat kept right on. "And you know what? I don't think that you are mad about the splash of Perisiclepotion. You are mad because I was right about the Three Broomsticks!"

"Don't you dare try to get into my head!" Sirius exclaimed and jumped up so that he stood inches from Kat. "You waltz in here and push your way into our group, and everyone thinks that you are oh so wonderful! But you are not, Katherine Hale, and I seem to be the only one who sees it."

Kat's hand flashed out to hit him, but Sirius easily caught her wrist, holding her hand in a vice-like grip. "Don't even think about it, Kitty Kat!"

Eyes blazing with anger, Kat nearly snarled at Sirius. "What do you have against me, Black? What?"

For a moment he stood silently, breathing raggedly. "I don't know!" He exclaimed finally, released her wrist and spun around, walking away from her.

Behind him, Kat massaged her wrist and winched. "You nearly broke my wrist, Black."

"I'm sorry." He turned around to face her, and for the first time, Kat really found him attractive. "I have been a prick, and that was unfair of me."

"No, I'm sorry." Kat shrugged. "I don't know what I did to offend you, but when you find out, please tell me." She sighed slightly and sat back down, picked up her quill and continued marking test.

Several minutes later, Sirius too sat down, and the only sound to be heard was the scratching of quills on paper.

That was how MacGonagall found them, two hours later, and even when she told them to go back to their dormitories, neither of them spoke.

                                                                        ***

Gryffindor creamed Hufflepuff in the match the following week, and that night the Marauders held a smashing party in the Common Room to celebrate. Earlier that evening several of the Gryffindors had snuck down to the kitchen to get all manners of delicacies for the party, while everyone else added something from their own stocks of Honeydukes' sweets which had been replenished by the previous week's trip to Hogsmeade.

The Quidditch team were treated like heroes, and James and Sirius basked in the attention they were getting; even going so far as to hand out autographs to any person who stood still long enough.

Jess and Remus were sitting on one of the couches, feeding each other Berty Both's Every Flavour beans, while several fourth year boys made gagging noises and laughed madly.

Something that James did not notice, was the way Lily's eyes followed him – as they had for the last couple of days. Apparently she had finally found out that she was in love with him, and when Kat pointed it out to James, he was more than happy to make his way over to her and forget the autographs.

Kat grinned as she saw the look on Lily's face when James pulled her out onto one of the couches for "a chat", Kat thought she hear him say. 

Trying to ignore the jealous feeling in the pit of her stomach as she watched Sirius talking animatedly to one of the third year girls – a pretty red-haired girl will doll-like features and sparkling green eyes – Kat made herself comfortable in an out-of-the way corner of the Common Room as she watched Peter trying to flirt with a fifth year.

The pudgy boy had changed a great deal since he came out of the infirmary, and Kat suspected that something worse than a bad stomach ache had kept him in the Hospital Wing for so long. Not that he would admit it.

As the evening wore on, more and more people started to drift off to bed, the younger ones first, and then, slowly, the older students as well. In the end, just after one o'clock, only the Marauders, Lily, Jess and Kat were left.

"Well," James said, dragging his attention away from Lily. "It seems like we have to clean up."

The others nodded and slowly started to right upended couches and tables. Kat was just finished fishing several chocolate frogs out from under a couch, when she spotted Sirius quietly making his way up the stairs.

"Oh no you don't!" She grabbed a pillow and took careful aim at Sirius's head, hitting him squarely and hard. "Come down here and help clean up!"

Turning around, Sirius grabbed the pillow and launched it back at Kat - who ducked just in time – and accidentally hit Jess in the stomach.

"You come down here, Sirius Black!" Jess called. "This means war!"

Grinning, Sirius ran down the stairs and grabbed a pillow while the others started pelting each other with cushions from the couches and chairs. A full out pillow-fight started, complete with shrieks of outrage, cries of triumph and ringing challenges. It was quite a wonder that none of the other Gryffindors came down to join the new party, but they were probably all to tired to.

Kat aimed another pillow at Sirius, who let out a bellow and stormed her, knocking her backward onto a couch. Not quite looking where he was going, his foot got stuck in one  end of the carpet and he fell forward, right unto Kat.

Extending his arms to keep from squashing her, Sirius's fall halted with his face inches from Kat's. For a moment they merely lay there, gasping for air.

Around them, the others all fell quiet and turned to look at the two on the couch, waiting for one of them to make some biting comment. A comment that didn't come. For a moment, it appeared as if Sirius would kiss Kat, but then the portrait swung open, allowing Professor MacGonagall to enter, still folding her night robe around her.

"What is the meaning of this?" She shouted as she glanced around, taking in the remains of the party and the occasional feather drifting about lazily after the pillow fight.

Sirius jumped away from Kat as if he had been burned, and she sat up quickly, trying to look as if she was fishing Every Flavour Beans out from between the seats.

"I allowed you to have your little victory party, but this is too much! It is two o'clock in the morning!" She glanced to where Kat sat. "And don't think I didn't see you and Mr Black on the couch, Miss Hale."

Kat went slightly pink. "It wasn't what you might think, Professor." She mumbled, but knew it was a waste of effort.

"And you, Miss Evans, I would have thought better of a _Prefect_; and you, Mr Potter, you seem to have forgotten about the badge pinned to your own robe!" It was Lily's turn to go scarlet, and James dropped his gaze. "_All_ of you will clean this mess up – without magic, mind you – and then you will go to bed. If I hear even one more squeak from any of you, I will see that you all have detention!" With that, Professor MacGonagall turned around and climbed almost awkwardly through the portrait door. 

                                                                        ***  
 


	5. Love Makes Fools

**A/N: Ok, I'm finally reading the fifth book of HP (thanks to a wonderful friend of mine who was kind enough to let me borrow hers – and yes, I am taking VERY good care of the book!) and due to this the writing of this chapter has been much delayed. For some strange reason, I haven't been getting many reviews, so I'm thinking of maybe stopping writing… only a review can save my story, so get typing!**

Despite the on-coming Christmas holidays, James insisted on continuing with Quidditch practice before the rest of the team went home. All four the Marauders, Lily, Jess and Kat were staying for the holidays.

So, the Gryffindor Quidditch team found themselves practising one Wednesday evening under a cloudy sky. James had been moaning that the team wasn't working together well enough, and thus, he had decided to make them change places for a few practices in order to "walk a mile in the other's shoes"

Kat found herself in a position as a Beater, something she did not enjoy at all. She kept on wanting to grab the Quaffle and score a goal, but whenever she did try, either a Bludger or James got in her way.

The rest of the team was not faring much better than she was, with Sirius trying to hit the Quaffle instead of scoring with it, and Cass trying to keep players from scoring instead of minding the Snitch. It was a disaster, and they all knew it.

Getting highly frustrated with having to watch out for the damn Bludgers the whole time, Kat decided to take out her excess emotions on the hurtling balls instead of her team mates. Seeing one of the balls zooming her way near the end of practice, she flew straight at the ball and hit it with all her might, not really caring where it went.

"Watch the hell out!" Sirius called as the Bludger come rushing towards him and Cass, who were taking a break from the action without James seeing them, and they scattered. Sirius turned away just too slowly, and the Bludger grazed by his shoulder, making him yelp in pain.

Cursing in an incessant stream, he landed swiftly an the others followed, most barely trying to contain their laughter. The Bludger had not hit hard enough to even hurt Sirius more than remotely, but in true Black fashion, he was making a scene.

"Are you trying to kill me, you stupid cow?" He burst out as Kat landed beside him. 

"It's a bummer I missed, wouldn't you say?" Kat replied with a cold gaze to Sirius, while the others laughed. They were used to the fights that permanently broke out between the two.

"You should be proud of yourself, Hale, at least this time you managed to actually hit the Bludger instead of just thin air." Sirius gave her a mean smile.

"Ooh, and you thought of a reply to my gibe!" Kat shot, eyes flashing.

James rolled his eyes and shook his head. Everyone knew better than to try and stop a fight between the two when it had started in a full swing. One by one the rest of the Gryffindors all started to drift back to the castle, knowing that Kat and Sirius would vent their anger and then both stomp back to the dormitories; it was scene that had become quite frequent in the last few weeks.

"You are such a self-centred, arrogant, feeble-minded bitch!" Sirius shot at a stage, trying to ignore the thin sheet of rain that had suddenly started to fall.

"I'm self-centred?" Kat folded her arms across her chest, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not the one that throws a fit every time things don't go my way, nor do I hate people for months and months simply because they accidentally took my seat!"

"I don't hate you!" Sirius yelled back. "Merlin, I thought you knew that by now!"

"You sure as hell have a good way of showing that you don't." With a tone as dry as the desert, Kat stood, hands on hips.

"And you aren't exactly Miss-Be-My-Friend-I-Am-So-Nice, yourself! On top of that, you're blind as a rock when it comes to other people."

One slender eyebrow climbed higher as Kat regarded the boy before her. "What does -that- mean?"

Sirius shut his mouth with a snap; clearly he had not meant to say that. "Nothing." He growled.

"What?" Kat pursed her lips, glaring at him. "You are not backing out of this one."

"I just meant that you are such an Ice Queen that you won't even notice an interested guy until he drops himself into your lap." Sirius dropped his gaze and kicked at a tuft of grass.

"And pray, do tell me who this interested guy is, Sirius, because he hasn't been very good at showing his interest." She hardly seemed to notice that she had used his first name.

"Perhaps he is just scared of rejection." Shrugging, Sirius looked up, all traces of anger gone from his face. "I mean, he is used to having pretty much every girl he wants, and then he met one he couldn't have… which was kind of strange for him."

"Well, if he is such a stud, how can I turn him down?" Kat mocked, starting to gather an idea about who the interested guy was.

"So you would not object if he did this?" In one smooth movement, Sirius took a step closer to Kat and slid his one hand around her waist, the other hand reaching up to brush a strand of damp hair from her face.

"No." Kat smiled slightly and tilted her head to the side. "But I might if he makes me stand in the rain much longer."

Sirius glanced up rather sheepishly before his gaze returned to level with hers. "Then he will have to get on with it, won't he?" A lopsided smile formed on his lips as he pulled her even closer to him, so that she could feel his breath on her cheek.

"Yes, I would advise him to get a move on." She didn't get a chance to say anything else, for his lips met hers in a kiss that would change her life.

They strolled into the Common Room hand in hand, broad smiles mirrored on their faces even though they were dripping water all over the floor.

Peter was the first one to see them, and his jaw dropped. Remus blinked, James dropped the book he was doing homework out of with a thud, Lily and Jess let out a collective squeal and the rest of the students burst into applause.

Shooting a mischievous glance at all those present, Kat gave Sirius a kiss on the cheek before making her way up the stairs to the girl's room, Lily and Jess at her heals.

"Oh my soul!" Jess squealed as she dropped down on her bed, eyes fixed on Kat. "Oh my living soul!" 

"When… how?" Lily started, and sat down beside Jess.

"We had a fight out on the Quidditch pitch which ended with him kissing me." Kat shrugged while the other girls both jumped up, yelling at the top of their lungs and bouncing around like hyper-active rabbits before catching Kat in a big group hug.

"Why didn't you tell us you had a thing for him?" Lily asked when they had all calmed down and Kat had changed into dry clothes.

"Because I didn't know." Sinking down unto her bed, Kat vainly tried to stop smiling, but failed horribly. "I mean, I've always been a pretty big player and all, so I just hope he can keep it interesting enough…"

Lily and Jess shot each other sidelong glances. "He will." They said together, grinning like mad.

"Sirius has always been _the_ player in Hogwarts, you know, the one all girls wish they could tame but none could?" Jess replied with a smirk in Lily's direction, making her friend flush a light pink.

Kat didn't notice. For the first time in years, she was truly happy.

In the boy's dormitory a very similar scene was play itself out.

"So, you finally asked her out, Padfoot old man?" James asked as he closed the door behind Peter. 

"We told you she'd say yes." Peter piped, even though they all knew he had sat quietly in the corner when they had that conversation.

Remus nodded and chucked a pillow at his fellow Marauder. "This is so cool. All we need now is a girlfriend for Peter, and the Marauders will all be officially taken!"

Pressing his hand against his forehead, Sirius pretended to swoon. "Oh, by tomorrow this time the crying of hundreds of women will be heard through these halls. They will all be mourning the fact that the sexiest man in school is taken." He grinned as the others pelted him with pillows. "Oh, all right, one of the sexiest men in school."

"That's better." James growled and lay back on his bed as Sirius changed into dry robes. "When's the next full moon, Moony?" Peter piped, seemingly having found that he was being ignored as the other three all sank down into their own thoughts.

  "In about three more weeks." Remus replied with a grin. "Right in the middle of Christmas holidays."

James and Sirius cheered and Peter nodded. 

"You think we'll be able to get out without the girls noticing?" James asked when he and Sirius had finally stopped their racket.

Remus and Sirius snorted. "We've never been caught before, have we?" Sirius said in an offended tone. "I can't see why THEY would even notice us leaving." He shrugged.

"Have you told Jess that you are a werewolf yet?" James asked Remus, a small frown between his brow. Sirius was busy rummaging through one of his trunks, humming loudly to himself as he looked for a clean pair of sock.

Rolling his eyes at Padfoot's behaviour, Remus shook his head. "No, I haven't – I was thinking of doing it this holiday."

"Are you sure that is such a good idea?" Peter asked, one pudgy fist closed around a chocolate frog.

"I can't not tell her…" Remus said, a pained expression on his face. "Don't laugh, guys, but I… I think I really love Jess."

A silence fell over the room as the other three took in their friend's words. Then, as one, they all started whooping. "That is great!" Sirius cried as he jumped on Remus, grabbing his friend in a bear hug. Peter and James both blinked at the sight and decided that Sirius's relationship with Kat must have addled his brains (which, in their opinion, had never been very sound to begin with).

"Gerr'off me!" Remus cried in a strangled voice. "I'm not a teddy-bear, Sirius! You've got a girlfriend to hug to death now, remember?"

Grinning, Sirius stepped back from his friend. "I am sorry, but that was just such a classic moment – you declaring your undying love for the woman of your heart…"A pillow hit him squarely on the jaw just as he was about to say something more.

"Shut up!" Remus growled.

"Yes, shut up, Sirius. You're making a fool out of yourself here…" James teased.

"Love makes fools of us all!" Sirius declared in a sing-song tone and disappeared out of the door, seemingly immune to the groans of his friends.


	6. Invisijibes and Other Akward Things

**A/N: Ok, hopefully the story line will pick up a bit more from this chapter onwards, as some important events will have to take place in order for this story to work out the way I plan it to. And then I must just warn all Malfoy fans that I've recently started reading OotP, and I will be taking sweet revenge on Malfoy Senior – since his son is such an insufferable git. Oh, and for those of you who will wonder, I am NOT American, nor am I pro-American (or anti-American, for that matter) in any way. It is just an excuse to put a lot of stuff into the story. Please don't forget to review! Your opinions mean the world to me!**

A strange hush fell over Hogwarts as the majority of students left for the Christmas holidays. The corridors seemed strangely deserted, and the Great Hall appeared even bigger without the House tables being completely full.

Christmas spirit was thick in the air, however, with the entire school decorated with candles and holly and glowing baubles. Even Peeves took on the spirit of things, wearing a red Christmas hat and pelting unsuspecting students with snowballs.

The Marauders were having the time of their lives. Apart from two first years, a couple of third years and four seventh years, they had the Gryffindor common room to themselves. It was fun and games from the moment they all woke up, till the time they dragged themselves to bed (often upon order of Professor MacGonagall).

Kat, however had made it quite clear that she wished to sleep late every morning – and woe to the person that dared to wake her.

Jess made the mistake of testing Kat upon her threats on the first morning of holidays, bounding in to the girl's room and shouting at Kat to wake up. She found herself flat on her back, every limb quivering like jelly. She couldn't even speak from between jelly-like lips, and hearing became near to impossible with globs of mush where her ears had been.

Fortunately for her, Lily came to check up on the two when neither of them appeared, finding Kat soundly asleep and Jess lying wobbling on the carpet. Even Lily couldn't quite suppress her giggles. Needless to say, no-one dared to wake Kat anytime soon.

Christmas morning dawned bright and clear, and outside Hogwarts the snow lay in a thick white blanket. The students woke to stacks of presents piled at the foot of their beds, and many joyful exclamations could be heard as gift-wrapping was pulled of off presents.

Sirius grinned broadly as he made his way into the girl's dormitory (no slipping stairs could keep him out) watching his girlfriend still sleeping soundly. Lily and Jess had gone down to breakfast with the other Marauders, but Sirius had stayed behind, promising to catch up with them later.

With infinite care, Sirius climbed unto the bed, and placed a light kiss on Kat's cheek. Her wand was against his temple before she even opened her eyes, and her lips were already forming the first syllables of a incantation before she saw who was it was that she was about to curse.

"Merlin's beard, Sirius!" She swore, dropping the wand. "Never do that again! I could have killed you!" She sat up and rubbed her hands across her eyes. With a shock she knew that she had been ready to use the Killing curse on Sirius, and that scared her. Her instincts had taken over so completely, her mind flashing back to her younger days when her father had sneaked up on her every night, forcing her reflexes to become lightning quick. And she remembered the day he had taught her the Unforgivables. She would not think of that, not now.

"How did you get in here, in anyway?" She asked and wrenched her thoughts back to the present.

"That is just one of my many talents, Kitty Kat." He joked and  kissed her once more. "Merry Christmas." 

Glaring at him, Kat echoed him. "Did you like your present?" She asked, still slightly shaken from shock.

"It's great!" Sirius exclaimed, looking like a little boy. "But I am afraid that I'm not quite sure how half of those things work, you'll have to explain them some time."

"I always knew American's were smarter than you British people." Kat teased, over-looking the fact that she was actually British herself.

Sirius stuck his tongue out at her and held up a small, beautifully wrapped package. "This is for you." 

Raising an eyebrow, Kat slowly pulled off the paper to reveal an ornately carved wooden box. Snapping open the lid, she found inside it, nestled in a piece of cream-coloured silk cloth, a delicately wrought silver necklace. A tiny pendant in the form of a cat hung from the chain, it's sapphire eyes gleaming in the morning light.

"Oh Sirius…" She breathed as she lifted it out of the box. "This is beautiful." She fastened it around her neck before throwing her arms around the him, kissing him thoroughly. 

"Hmmm, that's the way I like to be thanked." Sirius murmured half-an-hour later, extracting his fingers from Kat's tousled hair. "Feel like getting up and going down to breakfast?" He hopped of off the bed and straightened his robes with a grin. "We are planning to go ice-skating on the lake today."

Nodding, Kat started to pull a pair of robes from her trunk, not noticing the smirk on Sirius's face as he silently watched her. She dug around for a pair of socks, and finding two pairs, chucked one at Sirius without even looking. 

"No-one said you could stay, Sirius Black!" 

Mumbling something under his breath, Padfoot made his way down to the common room.

                                                                        ****

Kat made her way down from the Owlery late that night, having just finished writing her report about Frank Longbottom. It saddened Kat that she had to write anything at all, not even to mentioned that fact that she hated to report on any of her friends. Although she did not know Frank all that well, she liked him and his steady girlfriend, Alice, a lot. They would never join the ranks of Kat and her parents, but she had a job to do, even if she hated it.

She was so deep in thought that she did not even notice the pale hand reaching for her arm until it locked firmly around her wrist and pulled her into an empty class room.

"What…" She started, cutting short her exclamation as she found herself face to face with Lucius Malfoy.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She asked with a bored expression settling over her features. How easy it had become for her to slip from one personality to the other. The one moment she was the perfect friend and girlfriend, the next, a follower of the Dark Lord, carefully calculating and cold. How she sickened herself. She glanced to her right as the door of the class room suddenly closed, finding none other than Severous Snape leaning against the wall beside them.

"You never told me that you were sworn to the Dark Lord, Katherine." Malfoy spat, his pinched features looking even more ferret-like than normal.

"I do not have to tell you all my doings, Malfoy. I answer to none except our Lord – unlike you." There was a sneer on her features, and her tone was as cold as ice.

Flushing slightly at the insult, Malfoy glanced at his friend and seemed to stiffen his back-bone visibly. "If you are so loyal to him, what are you doing dating one of those Mudblood lovers?"

"You have no finesse, Malfoy, no subtlety." Kat laughed a cold, harsh laugh. "You scheme, but there is no debt to your plans – no ambition. I do not find it strange that the Dark Lord does not wish you to swear yourself to him yet, he has no time for ambitionless fools." She jerked her arm out of his grasp and started making for the door, only to find her way blocked by Snape.

"Oh for the love of Merlin, Snivellous, get out of my way you stupid prat."

Snape opened and closed his mouth in rapid succession, glancing at Malfoy for help.

"How long do you think that you can hide your relationship with Black from the Dark Lord?" Malfoy called out to her, an ugly expression carved on his pale face.

"What makes you think I'm hiding anything from my master, Malfoy? How would you know that all I am doing is not on his order?" He had touched a nerve in Kat, and for a few seconds she struggled to keep her cool. "The last time I checked you were not even allowed into his presence. That must have hurt." She flashed him a triumphant smile, confident that she was now on top of the little game they were playing.

Malfoy glowered in her direction and Snape made a growling sound in his throat. 

"It would do well for you to be nice with me, Katherine Hale. One of these days I will be Lord Voldemort's favourite, and then you will be begging me on your knees to forgive you for your hard words." Snape gagged at the feared name, but Kat merely narrowed her eyes.

"You talk of what you do not know, Malfoy, and you are wasting my time." Kat turned back to the door and pushed past Snape, only to feel Malfoy's hand clenching her shoulder firmly. Her wand came into her hand as she whirled around to face him.

"Never touch me again, Malfoy." She hissed, wand level with his chest. "You forgot that I was serving the Dark Lord while you were still being hit around by your father. I know many things you do not." She forced a laugh at the shocked expression on his face. "It would do well for you to leave me alone, Malfoy. Go play with your little friends, you can push them around."

Snape did not dare stand in her way.

                                                                        ****

The holidays flew past, and before anyone could blink, students flooded back to Hogwarts, full of tales of their holidays. Remus (who had been strangely ill) was "released from the Madam Pomfrey" as he put it, and slowly but surely school started to fall back into it's usual rhythm of things.

The perfect opportunity to use his Christmas gifts were handed to Sirius in their second week of school. Snape and Malfoy were insulting everyone in sight, and generally the Marauders took it upon themselves to bring any Slytherin down a few pegs when they got to high above themselves. 

Kat, in the mean time, had explained to the Marauders what Sirius's Christmas gift did. (She had ordered a big box full of strange joke items from a big shop in America.)Some things in the big box were recognisable, like a packet of sweets that made the person who ate them blow big, multi-coloured bubbles out of their noses, but others, like the small round patches of black velvet remained unidentified.

The Marauders, Jess and Lily sat in a small group around Kat as she explained the small patches to them one Saturday morning.

"You slap these babies onto someone's back, between the shoulder-blades. They are indistinguishable from normal school robes, and once in place, they yell out insults about the person whose robes they find themselves on." She grinned at the other's appreciative murmurs. "But, the best part of them is, that the wearer cannot hear the insults."

James and Sirius's eyes lit up at this, and it was clear to all that they already knew who the first victim would be. Lily looked at them with interest, clearly wanting to figure out what charm had been used on them.

So, that Monday morning, the Marauders set out on a Malfoy hunt. They found him just before Transfiguration. Sirius winked at James and lengthened his stride as to pass Malfoy, "accidentally" bumping into him and sticking the Invisijibe on to his back.

"Watch where you're going, Black!" Malfoy called with a sneer, not noticing the Invisijibe starting it's insults (I'm so ugly, it's hard to imagine that you could miss me!).

The students in the corridors all looked around in a puzzled manner, some of them starting to chuckles as they noticed that the insults were coming from somewhere around the white-haired Slytherin. (Don't laugh at me! If you're mother had been a piece of rotting meat and your father a fly, you'd also look like a maggot!)

Malfoy, on the other hand, was becoming more and more agitated every minute, clearly not understanding why everyone who wasn't in his House was pointing and laughing at him.

Transfiguration had never quite been so fun. MacGonagall threw a fit, naturally, but most people were laughing too hard to even notice. The Marauders all looked like they'd just won a million Galleons each.

"That's enough!" An exasperated MacGonagall cried as the class burst into another fit of laughter. "Whoever is behind this will get detention for the next month when I lay my hands on them!"

Sirius grinned at Kat and she blew him a kiss in return, glad that she had managed to make a fool out of Malfoy – who had by that time had been informed that something was shouting very rude things about him to the entire class. MacGonagall gave him the rest of the period off to try and figure out what was causing the insults.

He departed to a triumphant shout of "Do you think if I tie a dead mouse on my head my owl would land on my shoulder, since it is so scared of my obvious bad looks?" and another fit of roaring laughter from the Gryffindors.

                                                                        ****


	7. The Valentine's Ball, and Kat's Orders

A/N: Ok, this chapter should be very interesting, if a bit cliché. Please bear with me once more (hmm, seems as if I am asking that quite a lot these days). I'm going pretty girly in the first part of this chapter, describing dresses and stuff, and I am not quite sure if the gowns I describe are quite what JK had in mind when she wrote GoF. But, it is my story, so deal with it! 

Well, in anyway, I've finished reading OotP (and bawled my eyes out several times) so I should have more time to write now. Also, I must say that my hate for Voldie, Snape and Malfoy (take that as Senior and/or Junior) have increased greatly, and my absolute adoration for Sirius has become an obsession (joke). Yes, yes, I'll stop babbling now and get on with the story! Oh, don't forget, reviews make me type faster! =)

The third week back at school turned out to be one of the worst ones so far. Kat got a letter from her parents which sent her in a foul mood for a few days, making the others step lightly around her.

Lily and James had one of their more serious fights – this time about Snape. Lily had found out that James was still torturing Snape at every possible occasion (as long as Lily or Jess wasn't present). Which meant that Lily was now ignoring James dead; she didn't even ask him to pass her the salt-shaker at lunch.

At least the weather was slowly starting to turn to summer, with less and less snow falling every day, and Valentine's day nearing in leaps and bounds.

Great excitement reigned among the female population of Hogwarts when the annual Valentine's Day Ball was announced at the end of January, even though everyone knew it was coming. James had thought to ask Lily (how could she say no?) but after their fight he was not so sure he wanted to anymore. To his great disappointment, she ended up going with a seventh year Hufflepuff student named Matthew.

This little turn of events did not lighten the Marauder's mood as the Day of Love approached, and all of them were sulky beyond measure – which did not bode well for the Slytherin's. No-one could remember a time where so many pranks were pulled on one single House. Anything from as small as Dungbombs in someone's book bag to as extravagant as covering the House table with "Mrs Marble's Invisible,

Unremovable Sticky Sap" which caused book bags, sleeves and the occasional arm to stick to the table top.

In the end James had to settle for going to the Ball with a fourth-year Gryffindor called Pandora, who could be heard bragging about her date for the next few days – until James told her to shut up before he went with someone else. The girl was pretty enough, with large doe-like brow eyes and strawberry-blond hair, but according to Kat and Jess, she was a bit of an air-head. Lily refrained to comment.

Kat was having a hard time trying to keep her friends out of her reports to the Dark Lord, but try she did. Several times Sirius almost managed to read the letter, once even getting so close that Kat had to set it alight to keep him from seeing its contents. Their relationship was not without trouble, and Sirius was often in hot water when he was caught flirting a little too much with one girl or another.

In general Kat was not too jealous about him, for she knew that he was a player and that flirting was as natural to him as breathing. To top it off, he never really seemed to notice when he was doing it, but when she saw him with another girl she sometimes got a nasty feeling in her stomach and a great need to bash someone's head in.

He made it quite clear to her one night that he had no wish whatsoever to date anyone else, and she believed him, but she still wanted to kill every girl who did more than just stare longingly at Sirius.

                                                                        ****

It took the girls a full four hours to finish dressing for the Ball (which was little compared to the seven hours needed by Pandora and her giggling friends) but when they had finished, they found the results to be more than pleasing.

Lily was dressed in a gown of deep forest green that matched her eyes perfectly, while her mass of auburn hair was braided with gold string, and then gracefully coiled on the back of her head. 

Decked in a gown of rich purple, with a plunging neck-line and a tight bodice, Jess made no secret of her slender figure, while her hair hung shimmering down her back - the only ornament she needed to complete her striking outfit.

Yet, Kat managed to steal the show when she showed up in her dress, making Lily and Jess exclaim in delight, Sirius smile broadly and Peter blush scarlet. James let out a long whistle of appreciation as he watched the three girls descend from their room, but it was clear that his gaze was more on Lily than anything else.

The "famous gown" as it was later revered to, was carefully chosen to match the exact azure colour of Kat's eyes. Plainly cut to reveal no skin, except for her arms, but cling tightly to every curve (leaving little to the imagination, as Sirius put in with a broad smile), it's only real feature was the slit going up to mid-thigh. Her dark hair had been curled and stacked on her head, where it was secured with tiny silver pins.

For their part, the Marauders looked none too shabby themselves. Even Peter had managed to scrape by looking more than decent, even if his friends teased him about his date with a fifth-year Ravenclaw girl.

"You look beautiful." James told Lily as the girls joined them at the bottom of the stairs.

"That's all you care about, isn't it?" Lily shot back before stomping off to meet her date, leaving James to wait for Pandora. 

"Women." He and Sirius muttered at the same time, earning each of them a slap from Kat.

They entered the richly decorated Great Hall ten minutes later, Pandora, Mathew and Peter's date, Lucy in tow. 

The four House tables had disappeared, rather making way for a dance floor, a big table with refreshments and several smaller tables where groups of up to ten people could sit together. The Hall looked splendid, with the usual bright light having been subdued to a romantic red, while several cherubs floated around, casting rose petals around the room. A band had set up in one corner, with a dark-haired witch as the lead-singer, and were already playing away at the year's most popular songs.

After finding an empty table, the Marauders and Matthew left the girls alone while they went to fetch drinks. Lily and Jess were shooting dark looks at a gushing Pandora, while Lucy clearly looked daunted both by the dark looks and the insistent stream of words from the fourth year.

Kat's eyes, however, were fixed on Sirius, watching him stride self-confidently and elegantly to the refreshments. There was a certain natural grace, a subtle arrogance and a bewitching elegance to every movement he made; from the haughty flick of his hair, to the conceited smile curving on his sensual lips. 

Despite their good looks and charm, the rest of the Marauders simply could not match him. James had not even made an effort to try and flatten his hair (which would have been a futile attempt in anyway) and this was made worse by the fact that he kept running his hands through it. Remus had never been as handsome as either James or Sirius, and his frail, half-sickly appearance simply could not match that of his two best friends. Peter, who was short and chubby, with shifty eyes and darting hands, seemed so out of place with the other three that it was almost comical. His blatant adoration and hero-worship of the other three was clear to all. But, it seemed to amuse Sirius and James, which was the only excuse they needed to keep him around.

Watching with an amused smile as the four boys (plus a very uncomfortable Matthew) made their way back to the table, Kat never even saw the owl landing close to them until Pandora drew everyone's attention to it with a loud squeal.

"Oooh! Look at the owl! I bet it is me getting post." Lily, Jess and Kat rolled their eyes and snorted with laughter as Pandora lunged at the owl; only to have it fly a few paces out of her reach and shoot the fourth year a disgusted look. Then, with a look of almost pleasure, it stuck out it's leg to Kat.

"Oooh!" Jess exclaimed in a perfect imitation of Pandora. "It seems like Kat's gotten mail!" The look she shot Pandora could have felled an ox.

Taking the mail from the owl, Kat became a deathly shade of white as she recognised the handwriting. 

"Who's that from, Kat?" Lily asked and tried to lean over Kat's shoulder.

"Uhmm…" Kat stuttered badly, and jumped up, the letter clutched tightly in her hand. "Tell, Sirius I'll be back in a little. Family problems." It wasn't a direct lie, so she did not feel quite so bad about dashing off, leaving the rest of the girls gaping silently at her retreating back.

Once safely away from the Great Hall, Kat unrolled the letter, hands shaking so badly she could barely hold the paper. It could not be that she had displeased him, it could not be!

The letter was written in scarlet ink. 

Meet me in the Forest. Come alone and unnoticed, you know the meeting place. One of mine will be waiting for you there.

Your Lord.

Kat thought her heart would stop as she read and reread the message. Oh sweet Merlin! There was no way she would be able to sneak out into the grounds. There would be to many strolling couples… walking [A/N: cough cough] around the place. 

Except… she dashed up to the Gryffindor Common room before she could even finish the thought. Not once did the thought of not going cross her mind, for she knew that it would be dangerous beyond measure to disobey a direct summoning.

She had only once seen James take his invisibility cloak from it's hiding place, and she hoped feverishly that it was in the same place. She did not know quite how she would be able to make it to the Forest without it. She threw open the door to the boy's dormitory and went straight for James' trunk. With luck she'd have the cloak back before the ball ended.

                                                                        ****

She met the dark cloaked Death Eater just inside the Forbidden Forest. She pulled off the invisibility cloak and placed it under a clump of bushes just off of the path. It would not do well for her master to see it.

Kat silently followed the Death Eater into the Forest, on a walk that seemed to take years. She found herself in a clearing quite unexpected, noting that there were about half a dozen Death Eaters present. In the middle of the clearing, with his back to Kat, stood lord Voldemort.

She fell to her knees, head bowed. "Master, I come as summoned."

He turned slowly around, never giving an indication of what was to follow – and thus it was to Kat's utter surprise when she was flung backwards against the broad trunk of an ancient tree. Magical bindings snaked around her, keeping her bound against the tree with her feet dangling several inches above the ground.

"You have betrayed me." Voldemort hissed, slowly making his way towards her, malice in his eyes.

"Never, my lord." She gasped, and the bindings pulled tighter, making it hard to breathe. Her ribs were aching and her spine throbbed painfully from the sharp contact with the tree.

"Then why have you not reported to me about a certain Sirius Black?" Thin lips curled into a sneer at the name. "You have reported on many people, including the affore-mentioned person's brother, and yet you have said very little about the boy you are dating!"   

"He is like Frank Longbottom or James Potter. He would never join you, my lord." The bands constricted even more, and the last words were dragged from a body with barely enough breath left to stay conscious.

"Ah," he nodded in what appeared to be an understanding tone, and the bindings around Kat disappeared, allowing her to land heavily on the ground, where she lay gasping for air. "so you told me nothing about this boy because you did not deem him to be important? Then why, may I ask, are you dating a person who will not further our cause?"

He raised his wand and pointed it at her, an evil smile curving his lips. "Crucio"

Pain was all Kat knew. A pain that thrust what little breath she had from her lungs, and made every fibre of her body scream in agony. Yet, she let no scream pass her lips, for she would not show weakness before this man. Inside her mouth, her tongue was chewed bloody from trying to keep from crying out.

It stopped as swiftly as it had begun, leaving Kat to gasp on the ground, raggedly sucking in gulps of air and trying to move as little as possible.

"Your loyalties have shifted, have they not, Katherine?" Voldemort's voice seemed strangely far away, a disembodied voice that floated in a red haze. "Are you still loyal to me?"

"Yes." It was almost too much effort to say just that one word, but Kat managed, somehow. Already she seemed to feel stronger, the pain leaking from her body.

"Good, then you will prove it." Those who saw the smile on the Dark Lord's face were filled with dread. "You will kill this Sirius Black before the end of this year, or the pain that you have just felt will be nothing compared to the pain your friends will feel as I slowly torture them to death before your eyes."

All Kat could do was nod, and inside, her heart died. 

Once more the pain of the Cruciatus curse ripped through the girl's body, and when it faded, Voldemort and his supporters were gone. 

                                                                        ****

For what appeared to be an eternity, Kat lay on the cool ground, fingers clutching at moist soil and dry leaves, silent sobs raking her entire body. When the pain finally cleared, she stood up slowly, winching at the tears in her dress and the leaves in her hair. A quick spell, however, fixed it all, but nothing she knew could bring very long relief from the pain in her back. She suspected that she might have cracked a rib or two, but the rest of the pain in her body was purely because of the curse.

The pain wore off as she made her way back to the castle, covered for most part by James's invisibility cloak. She managed to get it back into its hiding place and get herself back out to the Ball – which was still in full swing.

It seemed that she had been gone for a much shorter space of time that she had originally thought, for when she entered the Great Hall it was declared that all students under fifth year had to get back to the dormitories.

There was an audible sigh of relief from all those at the Marauder's table when Pandora left, and Kat was almost glad that she had missed the stupid git's time with them. Fortunately for her, most of the pain in her body had disappeared, and all that was left was a dull ache across her back, for Sirius spun her unto the dancefloor before she could even make a scratching comment about Pandora's dress.

Kat found Sirius to be an excelent dancer, but she breathed a sigh of relief when the music became slower and couples started a close dance.

"Everything alright, Kat?" Sirius asked as he slipped his arms around her waist. "May I ask what the family crisis was?"

"You may ask, Sirius Black, but it is none of your business, so I won't be telling you." She smiled softly at his injured expression, once more hearing Voldemort's order resounding through her mind. "And everything is fine."

The pace sped up again, and the others joined Kat and Sirius on the dance floor. Peter now dancing with Lily, and Lucy with James. All chances for conversation was cut off by the music.  

                                                                        ****


	8. Truth Must Out

A/N: Ok folks, this story is going to start drawing to an end, this should be one of the last chapters =(. But, I will be writing a follow-up, so keep your eyes peeled; and yes, I will let all of you faithful reviewers know when the first chapter of the follow-up in on the net. Now, I am not going to say too much about the next story, and rather start typing this one! Please don't forget to review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The weeks following the Valentine's Ball were pretty uneventful for the largest part of the Hogwarts students. Slytherin won Ravenclaw in their Quidditch match, which meant that Gryffindor and Slytherin would be meeting on the pitch in a few weeks time.

However, the Gryffindor Common Room became witness to many a colourful fights between the House's favourite couple. Kat and Sirius were constantly at each other's throats. With Voldemort's order heavy on her mind, Kat became withdrawn and quite the loner, which in turn worked on Sirius's nerves. Some times Kat would cling to him, unwilling to be parted from him, while at others she remained aloof and strangely preoccupied. 

As the weeks trickled past, it seemed only to become worse. They would fight over the stupidest things; and often, they would both remain sulky for days on end. Kat would tell no one what was bothering her, and Sirius was starting to wonder why he even put up with it.

And then, Kat would become more like her own self again, which made him fall in love with her all over again; so the vicious circle continued, bringing nothing but hardship to both of them.

To add to the tension, Gryffindor Quidditch practices were not going smoothly. With the added effort needed from the player's side in order to win the toughest match of the season, tempers were running high. James was like a raging bull, pushing his team beyond endurance and throwing temper tantrums when they couldn't keep up. It was a nightmare. Add tons of homework, and it was a disaster.

At least the weather was clear on the morning of the match, with the sky a bright blue and a gentle breeze floating across the Hogwarts grounds. The excitement lay so thick upon the students that one could reach out and touch it.

In the changing rooms the team sat silently listening to James's speech, nodding their heads every now and them as he reminded how important it was to win the game. Even Cassandra Hooch (who usually couldn't shut up when it came to a match) was oddly silent. It was a tough game, with Slytherin and Gryffindor neck on neck. It was largely due to Kat and Cassandra that Gryffindor managed to hold un to its diminutive lead; a fact that gave their Seeker just enough time to snap up the snitch.

The celebration that night was unlike any Gryffindor had seen in years. Yet, two Gryffindors were not enjoying the party. Kat and Sirius were at it again. He had gone as far as to accuse her of having an affair, which she hotly denied. 

"So what is with all these mood swings then?" He bellowed as the two of them stood face to face in an empty classroom.

"Are you saying that I am not allowed to feel anything? It's fine for you to slam doors and kick book bags around, but I'm not allowed to sit quietly in the corner when I am irritated?" Kat was in a foul mood. Even Malfoy's face after the match did nothing to lighten her mood. She had received a message from lord Voldemort, demanding to know why she had not yet "seen to" Sirius.

"I never said that, Kat! Don't twist my words around!" He wanted to grab her and shake her, if only to make her tell him what was bothering her.

Something in Kat snapped. She couldn't handle it anymore. "You know what, Sirius?" She said, her voice dropping to a dangerously low tone. "This isn't working. I think we should just get rid of this ridiculous relationship."

"Fine!" He yelled at her, his mind relatively numb from shock. "I never did think that it would work dating a Malfoy lover!"

She slapped him hard. "Watch what you say, Black." The classroom door slammed behind her, leaving Sirius to wonder exactly what had gone wrong.

                                                                        ****

The whole school was abuzz with gossip after the break up. Some said that Kat had caught Sirius making out with a nameless Gryffindor girl, while others said that Sirius had unearthed Kat's secret relationship with a Slytherin.

Not even the Marauders were completely sure what exactly had happened, since neither Kat nor Sirius were willing to talk about it. A frosty silence reigned between the two, making conversation in the group awkward and pranks less fun the potions. 

Malfoy was grinning from ear to ear while making snide remarks to Kat as he passed her in the hallways or saw her in class. He ended up in the hospital wing twice. Once with limbs swollen the size of melons, and the other time with a poison ivy growing out of his ears and nose.

Easter holidays came and went, and still Kat and Sirius refused to talk to each other. Kat's time was starting to grow short, and she still had not scraped together the guts to proceed with lord Voldemort's order. Despite the fact that she would now as soon attack Sirius as kiss him (which she still wanted to do some times) she still could not imagine…

It was two weeks before the exams when she finally got herself together and started to proceed with the carefully worked-out plan. Firstly, she wrote to Sirius, asking him to meet her up in the Astronomy Tower half an hour past midnight that evening, but asking him not to tell anyone about the meeting. She knew he would not say anything, his sense of "honour" was too strong to go directly against a request from her.

Then, that evening, she carefully arranged her bedding around her pillow while the other girls slept, so that to the casual eye it would appear that she was still sound asleep. She knew it would not help if someone came looking directly for her, but it might help lull suspicion if anyone was to cast a casual glance over her bed.

She made it to the Astronomy Tower slightly late (having had to dodge various teachers and Peeves on several occasions.) and Sirius was already there, waiting impatiently.

He turned around to face her when he heard her footsteps. Her wand came up before he could say anything. She wished her entire body wouldn't shake quite so much.

"Kat…" he began, but cut off abruptly when he she made a jerky move with her wand. 

"I would appreciate it if you would keep quiet, Sirius." She whispered, forcing her hand to keep steady. "It would make what I have to do much easier."

"Do what, Kat?" He looked highly puzzled, and quite scared. "Are you ok, do you want to go to the infirmary?"

"No!" She shouted, cursing herself for a fool. Why hadn't she just killed him BEFORE he had a chance to say anything. Her hand trembled once more and she could feel tears starting to run down her cheeks.

"Oh Merlin, Sirius, I can't do this!" She dropped the wand and burst into tears, fear and pain and anger making her as hapless as a child.

Sirius's arms were around her before she even knew what was happening. He kicked her wand away and held her close to him, rocking her slightly backward and forward, murmuring into her hair.

When her tears stopped and she had calmed down, he carefully tilted her chin up so she could look into his eyes. "Now, will you tell me what is going on?"

Despite her best efforts, Kat broke down and told him everything, waiting for him to jump away from her in revulsion. To his credit, Sirius only stiffened his spine when she told him that both her parents were Death Eaters, and that she herself had sworn her life to lord Voldemort. He shook almost as much as Kat did when she told him why she had wanted to meet with him, but he did not let go of her.

"Bloody hell." Was all he could say when she finished her tale, and he hugged her against him, pity for her making him forget that she had been sent to kill him. "We should go to Dumbledore." He said quietly to Kat after a long silence. "He is the most powerful wizard in the world. He'll know what to do."

Kat blinked up at him. "He will?"

Sirius nodded and started leading Kat to Dumbledore's office, pocketing her wand and hoped that the Professor would be in his office.

                                                                        ****

Strangely enough, Dumbledore met them even before they came to his office. He let them in(Grass flavoured beans!) and did not seem in the least fazed about seeing two students in his office at one o'clock in the morning.

"So, what can I do for you two?" He asked as he sat down behind his desk, lacing his fingers and glancing at them with that merry twinkle in his eyes.

It took a long time, but Kat finally managed to tell Dumbledore the entire tale, starting from the day she swore herself to Voldemort, and ending with the reason why they were sitting in his office. By the time she was finished, all the portraits in the office were leaning forward to hear what she was saying, and Dumbledore was looking more worried that merry.

"So you no longer wish to be of service to Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked when Kat finished.

She shook her head. "No. It was so different when I was younger. I never knew how… evil he was, and I think that because my parents are such big supporters of him, I could not see the harm in doing it." She dropped her gaze. "But now… I know that he is truly evil, and that we must stop him! He has not yet even started with the evil he is capable off…"

Dumbledore nodded. "Evil is at its most vile when it forces others to do evil. It is good that you know that what he is doing is evil, Katherine, for it means that you yourself still has good in you."

Sitting on the edge of his chair, Sirius spoke up for the first time. "But what can we do, Professor? I mean, Voldemort's not going to be all that happy when he finds out that she didn't… kill me."

"Indeed Sirius, indeed. But I do have a plan." He cast Sirius a small look. "The Order of the Phoenix."

Kat looked puzzled. "Excuse me, Professor, but I do not know how some Order is going to help me?" She seemed on the verge of tears again.

"The Order of the Phoenix is a group of people dedicated to fighting Voldemort, and I do believe that among us, we will be able to work on some plan to keep you safe. Of course, we cannot allow you to go home, and that may cause the most problems, but you must leave it to me!" He was stern yet sympathetic, and both Sirius and Kat found themselves reassured by Dumbledore's words. 

When they left the office several minutes later, Kat felt happier than ever before. A fact which was only made better by Sirius's hand holding hers.

                                                                        ****


	9. Thanks All!

Ok, this isn't a real chapter, it is just a little Hall of Fame for my adoring fans (joke). No, actually, this is just my way of saying thanks to all of you guys who have bothered to review my story. (Yes, all 5 of you!) Thanks so much all! You guys rock seriously!

**Catcher-In-The-Rye: **Yippy! You are my first ever reviewer, and I am so glad that you like my story! Keep on writing, I'm waiting for the next chapter  of  your Gladiator story!!!****

**The Social Leper: **I just hope you like the next couple of chapters as much as you do the first couple! (And I won't hold the fact that you are 100% English against you!) Yes, JK was very stupid when she took our Siriusy away from us. I'll get her one of these days! (big joke!)

**Angy: **Hehehe. I'm glad I caught someone! Keep on reading!****

**Bellezza: ***grumbles* I did mean for it to be 'cute' but I'll forgive you for saying that =) I am, however, very glad that you like it!

**Amber Eyed Wolf: **I am most definitely not leaving you guys hanging! Your reviews are all so wonderful that I wouldn't dare! 

Yes people, you too could see your name here! All you need to do is write me a review (whether good or bad!) and I'll add you to this little list in a snitch!

**Now, all of you run along and review so I can get over this damn writers block and write some more chapters!**


	10. The Shadows that Looms

A/N: Ok people, this is my second last chapter!!! (Can't decide if this is a good thing or not). The reason I didn't post it earlier is that my computer contracted a virus that wiped clean my –entire- hard-drive! So pretty much I have nothing left of four year's worth of stories and poetry. Being me, I never did back-up like I planned to, so, despite the fact that a part of my soul has died along with this loss, it was actually a good thing. I've now learned that back-ups are my friend.

Anyway, back to the story. Like I said, this is my second last chapter, but like I mentioned before (I think) I am going to write a short sequel to it. Please do make an effort to read it! I must also warn you all that this chapter might be a bit fluffy, soppy and (hopefully) sad. Let me know what ya think by reviewing!!!

Kat woke with a blinding headache. She lay for a while, her eyes closed and limbs unmoving, trying to gather the strength to roll out of bed. The mattress beneath her felt oddly lumpy, and the air smelled strangely mouldy and damp – nothing at all like her own dorm (or Sirius's, now that she thought about it).

Finally figuring out that she could not stay in the semi-wakened state forever, she slowly opened her eyes and glanced about the room. It was not a room Kat knew, nor did it look it belonged to any place Kat had ever been. The lilac paint on the walls was peeling, and the carpet on the rotting floorboards appeared even mouldier than the plasterboard ceiling. By the smell that emanated from the bed beneath her, Kat guessed that it too had not seen sunlight or fresh air in many a days. 

She tried to sit up but found herself trapped in what felt like a thick, constricting jelly.

"Ahh, she is awake, Morris." Drawled Alfious Malfoy, the scorn sharp in his usual velvety voice.

Kat knew with a sickening feeling in her stomach that she was in big trouble, fatal trouble, in fact.

A man came into her view, his familiar features cold.

"Father." She breathed. "What is the meaning of this, where are we?"

He slapped her hard across the cheek, doing nothing for her headache. "Never call me that again. I have no daughter."

"Now, now, Morris. There is no reason to slap the girl around like some lowborn Mudblood. We have other ways to have fun with her." Malfoy sneered, looking for all the world exactly like his son.

"Mr Malfoy." Kat said, tasting blood in her mouth from where her teeth had sliced into her cheek and tongue. "It is good to see you again, sir. Could you perhaps tell me what is going on?"

Morris Hale laughed a deep, hollow laugh. "We have been sent by the Dark Lord to make you pay for betraying us to Dumbledore; and thus, you are here in the Lord's secret house – and you will be justly punished."

She knew what was coming; she knew that they would torture her before making her die as slowly as possible. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out in terror. Those who served Voldemort tortured for fun, and they enjoyed killing above all else. He had sent her father, her own father, to kill her – and she knew that Morris Hale had no choice. Her father had never really cared for Kat half as much as he did for Voldemort, and even if he did, he would still not refuse to kill her. That would mean death for him as well.

"Shall we proceed, or do you want to waste more time?" Malfoy's voice had a tone of almost glee to it, and his handsome features were contorted into a cruel smile.

Morris nodded and motioned for Malfoy to proceed; Alfious would torture Kat, but Morris himself would do the actual killing. Kat's father sat down in a rickety old chair and stared at a mouldy spot some four inches above Kat's head, his face impassive.

With an impetuous flick of his wand, Malfoy released the bonds that held Kat. He did not, however, even give her chance to move an inch before his first curse hit her.

"_Crucio_." He whispered, a malicious grin on his face.

Pain filled every fibre of her being, and despite all of her will, Kat could not help but moan. Even Voldemort had not hurt her that much, for his heart had not been in it completely – no matter how much he above all others enjoyed bringing pain.

She writhed in agony, but she did not cry out. Malfoy dropped his wand, and the pain subdued slightly. There was grudging respect in his eyes, but hatred as well. Alfious Malfoy did like to hear people scream.

The next time he placed the curse on her, Kat screamed as she had never screamed before – and Malfoy laughed.

Great was his surprise when the door behind him flew open, and three boys advanced in, wands raised. Kat's screams must have muffled their footsteps on the rickety stairs.     

"Stop that!" Cried Sirius as he, James and Remus stopped just inside the door.

Malfoy whirled around wand pointed at the boys, no longer worried that Kat would interfere.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Morris and Malfoy cast the disarming spell at exactly the same time, causing three wands to fly through the air, and three boys to fall backwards against the wall.

"Oh fuck." James mumbled as he pushed himself upright. He had been unlucky enough to stand right in front of the door, which caused him to fall on his backside when the curse blasted him backwards.

"Ditto." Muttered Remus as he glanced at Sirius, noticing the anger in his friend's eyes.

"So, which one of these three idiots is Sirius?" Morris Hale glared from them to Kat, wand raised level with James's chest.

"I am Sirius."

Kat moaned on the bed. It would have been better just to die; now the Marauders would most likely be killed in a futile attempt to save her. She wanted to cry, but she knew it would hurt too much.

"Good, good." Morris grinned. "So you will watch your two friends die, after which I will make Katherine watch you be slowly driven to madness by the Cruciatus curse." He rubbed his hands together in what appeared to be an eager manner.

"Wait!" Kat called shakily from the bed. "You have me, let them go!"

Malfoy stroked his small goatee in thought. "I suggest a compromise. If Katherine kills this Sirius boy, the other two can go – with their memories modified, of course."

"Do it, Kat!" Sirius called, his voice relatively strong, despite the fact that he was facing pretty sure death.

"NO!" James and Remus called at the same time. 

"I'd rather die than make you be a murderer, Kat!" James declared, his eyes hard with determination.

"Kat, look at me." Sirius commanded; and Kat slowly raised her eyes to his, tears running silently down her cheeks. "Do it. If it will save the others…"

The two Death Eaters stood silently, enjoying the tension and fear shown by the three teenagers.

Slowly, Kat shook her head. "I cannot, Sirius…" She closed her eyes and more tears streamed down her cheeks. 

Alfious cleared his throat. "Well then, I guess you all die. How very touching." His wand was still pointed at James. "You die first, upstart."

His mouth formed the first syllables of the Killing Curse, but a tremendous crash came from the wall, sending pieces of plaster and paint right across the room.

A hole the size of three doors was blasted in the wall that led to the hallway, and in the opening stood Professors Dumbledore, MacGonagall, Sprout and Aubry (Charms teacher).

The Marauders and Kat all drew short-lived sighs of relief. Morris Hale jumped back to where his daughter lay weakly on the bed, a silver knife in his hand.

"Drop your wands, all of you, or I'll slit her throat." He pressed his knife against Kat's skin, just above her main artery.

The other three Professors glanced at Dumbledore for assurance before lowering their wands.

Morris grinned viciously and glanced at Malfoy, nodding slightly. 

With a quick incantation, Malfoy summoned the Marauder's wands to him, and threw them at the boys, momentarily distracting everyone from Kat and her father.

In that instant, Morris Hale swiftly plunged his knife into Kat's belly, making her cry out in pain and shock.

"Die like a Mudblood, Katherine." He snarled. "You were never good enough for magic, in anyway."

They Disapparated before anyone could even so much as raise a wand.

Dumbledore reached Kat's side first. "Minerva, go get Poppy."

"No!" Kat grabbed at Dumbledore's sleeve. MacGonagall stopped in her tracks.

"I will never be free in this life… let it end here… please, Professor." Her breath was coming in gasps, and it was clear that it was hard for her to talk. Blood gushed out of the wound in her stomach, and one bloody hand clutched the hilt of the knife.

Grave sadness filled the Headmaster's blue eyes, and he nodded before motioning Sirius forward.

"Kat, you have to let Madam Pomfrey heal you!" He fell to his knees beside the bed, and Dumbledore retreated to give the two some space.

"No." Kat slowly shook her head. "It is better this way, Sirius." There was sadness in her eyes as she lifted her hand to brush her fingers over his cheek, leaving a bloody smear across his skin. "I love you."

"I love you too, Kitty Kat." Tears shone in his eyes, and he grasped her hand, pressing it against his cheek.

"Do not… mourn too long…" Speaking was becoming increasingly difficult, as her head started to swim from loss of blood. "But… never forget me…"

"I swear." James and Remus both placed their hands on Sirius's shoulders as he said this.

"Come on, mate." James said softly. He glanced at Kat and gave her a silent salute, one she weakly mirrored with the tiniest of smiles.

Remus and James drew their friend up. "May you journey in peace, my friend." Remus told her softly, as they led Sirius out of the room, MacGonagall in tow.

Sirius tried to get one last look at the girl on the bed, but the three Professors who stood around her bed kept her form from sight. 

                                                                        ****

Professor MacGonagall led them down the stairs, and to their surprise, Madam Pomfrey was downstairs, along with Lily, Jess and Peter. The school matron gave them one look, gathered her skirts and dashed up the stairs, medicine bag swinging dangerously from her hand.

The group was silent all the way back to the castle, none of them having the heart to speak. From the way that Sirius stared dully out ahead of him, and from the silence of the other two, the girls and Peter knew that nothing good had happened that day.

MacGonagall took them to Dumbledore's office, seated them and poured each of them a cup of hot chocolate while they waited. In soft tones James and Remus told the other three what had happened in the room, and by the end of the tale, both the girls were weeping softly, and even James and Remus's cheeks were glistening with tears.

Sirius's hands were curled around his mug so tightly that Professor MacGonagall had to remove it forcefully, before he broke it.

The Headmaster joined them a quarter of an hour later, his expression grave. "It has been done." 

Sirius still didn't move.

"Now, would one of you be so kind as to tell me what exactly happened today?" Dumbledore poured himself a cup of hot chocolate and settled behind his desk.

Taking it upon himself, James decided to tell the tale. "We were all getting ready to come back to the school when Kat suddenly remembered that she had to buy a new quill; we still wanted to go to Zonko's, and she told us that she would meet us on the way back. We all agreed and split up, although I wish now that we had walked with her."

He sighed and took a sip of luke-warm chocolate. "As we came out of Zonko's, we saw two men dragging what appeared to be an unconscious student into an alley – one we knew headed to the Hogshead tavern. We followed and saw that it was Kat, and Sirius demanded that we should follow her.

"Remus came up with the idea of sending the girls and Peter to the castle while the rest of us went after Kat. We split up once more, and the rest is history."

He sighed and placed down his empty cup. "I just wish we could have saved her."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, we all wish that, but in the end, she chose to die – and it was the right thing for her." He glanced at each of them over the tops of his half-moon shaped glasses.

"Who was the man that killed her?" It was the first time Sirius spoke up since he had spoken to Kat. Her blood was still on his cheek, and he had a dazed look about him.

"That was Morris Hale, her father." At this all the students gasped and Professor MacGonagall shifted slightly in her chair.

"But why?" Jess asked, drying her tears.

In all the confusion, it had been forgotten that the rest of the Marauders and the girls did not know of Kat's history.

Hesitantly at first, but with his tone strengthening with every word he spoke, Sirius told them all that Kat had told him and Dumbledore two weeks before. Silence once more reigned when he finished.

"They killed her because she didn't kill Sirius?" Lily gasped after a while.

"In a way, yes." Dumbledore said and turned his gaze on the red haired girl. "But also because she betrayed Voldemort." Everyone in the room flinched. Dumbledore continued as if he didn't notice. "She told me that she had been sworn to him, and she revealed more about him than even she knew. Voldemort - " everyone flinched again at the name "- suspected that she had changed sides, although I suspect that he had some insider that told him. I do not yet know who, or how they found out, but when I put my hands on that person, there will be serious trouble."

Dumbledore regarded the six students before him silently, before he said at last: "Voldemort has started his reign of terror, and times are looking dark. Some of us has seen it coming for a few years now. It has touched this school – and all six of you – but one of these days, it will touch every single witch and wizard in the entire world. Unless we can all learn to work together, Voldemort will win this fight, and the world will be plunged into darkness."

                                                                        ****  


	11. Sirius's Unofficial Diary

A/N: Ok people, this is the last chapter of this little story. I hope you have all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks so much for sharing this particular little journey with me, it has been a great pleasure to share my fanfiction with all of you. Please do review in anyway, and go check out the sequel (which I am writing solely for my own entertainment; and because I am not quite ready to let Sirius go). I'm thinking of making the title : 'Of Dogs and Kats'. (Get it?) Prickled your interest? Well, as soon as you're done reading this, head over there and get reading! And reviewing!!!!

Sirius's Unofficial Diary

25 July

Well, I've been in my new apartment for exactly four days, nine hours and forty-five minutes. Pretty cool, hey?

James, Remus and Peter are staying over with me – it's getting a bit crowded, but it's lots of fun. It was really nice for Mr and Mrs Potter to help me get the place. They have always been so kind to me, I just hope that I can repay them some day.

I still miss Kat. I know she told me not to mourn for her too long, but somehow it is hard not to. I keep on seeing something and wanting to share it with her. 

I walk through the stores and see some nice jewellery or a book she'd love, and whenever I point it out to one of my fellow Marauders they go all quiet; and I know then. I know that she is gone, and that no matter how much I wish, she won't be coming back.

I prayed last night, you know. I don't know to whom, nor do I know if anyone even bothered to listen (that is if there is even anyone who could hear me) but I think if they did hear me, they probably had the laugh of their lives. Come on, Sirius Black praying? Hahaha. Biggest joke of the century.

But I would give anything for my prayers to be answered, anything at all. 

Who am I kidding? No matter how much I beat myself up about it, I will never have Kat back. But I will make sure that her father is caught for what he did – even if I die trying.

Fuck, I'm sounding corny -and- cliché! (But the most astounding of it all is the fact that I mean every word!)

I think I need to get to bed.

Wish me sweet dreams.

Sirius.

**A/N: Yes folks, that's it. Now, run along and review. After that, check out the sequel! Imperio! You now have the Imperious Curse on you and I am forcing you to read the sequel! Go, hop, run, do it now! Muawahhhaaa! (Big joke guys, don't overreact!) Keep well everyone, and keep reviewing!**


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